Wal-Mart Installs New Equipment to Protect Financial Privacy of Wal-Mart Shoppers with Visual Impairments

Blind Community leaders praise Wal-Mart’s Actions

Bentonville, AR (November 7, 2005) — In a move applauded by members of the blind community nationwide, Wal-Mart today announced that it has begun installing state-of-the-art point-of-sale devices to protect the privacy and security of Wal-Mart shoppers with visual impairments. The new devices have tactile keys arranged like a standard telephone keypad and will allow Wal-Mart shoppers who have difficulty reading information on a touchscreen to privately and independently enter their PIN and other confidential information.

Today’s announcement is the result of collaboration between Wal-Mart and major blind organizations, including the American Council of the Blind and the California Council of the Blind. Speaking for the organizations, Melanie Brunson of the American Council of the Blind and Jeff Thom of the California Council of the Blind commended Wal-Mart’s actions: “Wal-Mart has taken a leadership role in ensuring that persons with visual impairments do not have to disclose confidential information when purchasing products and services.”

According to the website of the American Foundation for the Blind, there are approximately 10 million blind and visually impaired people in the United States.

About Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. operates Wal-Mart Stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and Sam’s Club locations in the United States. Internationally, the company operates in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, South Korea and the United Kingdom. The company’s securities are listed on the New York and Pacific stock exchanges under the symbol WMT. More information about Wal-Mart can be found by visiting www.walmartfacts.com. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com.

About the American Council of the Blind (ACB) and the California Council of the Blind (CCB)

The American Council of the Blind is a national consumer-based advocacy organization working on behalf of blind and visually impaired Americans throughout the country, with members organized through seventy state and special interest affiliates. The California Council of the Blind is the California affiliate of the ACB, and is a statewide membership organization, with 40 local chapters and statewide special interest associations. The ACB and CCB are dedicated to improving the quality of life, equality of opportunity and independence of all people who have visual impairments. Their members and affiliated organizations have a long history of commitment to the advancement of policies and programs which will enhance independence for people who are blind and visually impaired. More information about the ACB and CCB can be found by visiting http://www.acb.org and http://www.ccbnet.org.

Contacts:

Linda Blakley, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
(479) 273-4314

Lainey Feingold, ACB, CCB
(510) 548-5062

Linda Dardarian, ACB, CCB
(510) 763-9800

Return to ACB Home page.